Atos Healthcare

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Atos Healthcare has set targets or been given targets by the Department for Work and Pensions for the numbers of claimants who pass the work capability assessment; and whether any such targets are applied (1) on a national basis, (2) for each Atos centre, or (3) for individual registered medical practitioners employed by Atos Healthcare.  [HL1907]

Lord Freud: Atos Healthcare does not have performance targets or incentives with regard to the number of people qualifying for benefit. Atos Healthcare provides the relevant reports for DWP decision-makers but plays no part in the actual decision-making process.

Benefits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what non-contributory benefits are currently paid to people who do not reside in the United Kingdom; what is the annual total paid in relation to each of those benefits to such people; and under what conditions they are eligible or continue to be eligible when outside the United Kingdom. [HL1935]

Lord Freud: The annual total paid to people who do not reside in the United Kingdom in relation to each non-contributory benefit is given in the table below.  Figures are not available for the costs of paying child benefit and/or the child tax credit in these circumstances.






2010-11




Non-Contributory Benefit


�m




Attendance Allowance


3




Carers Allowance


0




Disability Living Allowance 


11




Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit


12




Severe Disablement Allowance


2




Category D Pension 


1




Winter Fuel Payments


16


Notes
1) Figures are in nominal terms
2) Figures have been rounded to nearest �m
3) Figures may include a very small amount of expenditure where the claimant's residence is not known.
EU rules require us to pay certain non-contributory benefits to people who are resident in the EEA or Switzerland.  Those rules are contained in the Social Security Co-ordination Regulations (EC Regulations 883/2004 and 987/2009). They mean that in some circumstances, benefits may be payable to persons residing in other member states, for example, to cross-border workers who are employed or self-employed in the UK and to persons resident in another member state who are in receipt of a UK contributory benefit such as UK state pension or contributions-based ESA.
The relevant entitlement conditions for each benefit are:
Disability living allowance (care component only), attendance allowance or carer's allowance are payable to people who live in another EEA member state or Switzerland.  The conditions under which they can receive or continue to receive the benefit in these circumstances are that the UK must be the responsible state for payment under EU law, for example the person is a UK worker or pensioner, and that they must be able to demonstrate a genuine and specific link to the UK's social security system.  Members of Her Majesty’s forces serving abroad are paid disability living allowance and carer’s allowance as they are deemed to meet the residence and presence conditions for these benefits.
The entitlement conditions for winter fuel payments are that a person must be resident within the EEA or Switzerland, have reached the age at which women can claim state pension and have a genuine and sufficient link to the UK’s social security system.
Industrial injuries disablement benefit, industrial death benefit, and retirement allowance can continue to be paid without restriction outside the UK provided the person still satisfies the conditions of entitlement. Reduced earnings allowance (and the increases to disablement benefit: CAA and unemployability supplement) can continue in payment under domestic legislation where the absence is only temporary, although these may still be payable if a person travels to an EEA country and comes within the provisions of EU legislation.
Also, a person living abroad can become eligible for industrial injuries disablement benefit if they have been injured as a result of an industrial accident, or contracted one of the prescribed industrial diseases, arising from working as an employed earner while they were in GB.
Severe disablement allowance can continue to be paid to people who live in another EEA member state or Switzerland under the provisions of the EU Co-ordination Regulations.
Category D retirement pension is a non-contributory pension payable to people who are aged 80 and over and not entitled to a category A or B state pension at an equivalent or higher rate.  Once entitlement is established category D pensions are payable worldwide on the same terms and conditions as other categories of state pension.
In order to qualify for a category D pension the individual must:
have been resident in GB for a period of at least 10 years in any continuous period of 20 years which includes the day before their 80th birthday or any later date;  and 
be ordinarily resident in GB on the day they reached age 80 or the date of claim for the pension if later.
Under the terms of the EU social security co-ordination rules a person does not have to be ordinarily resident in GB if they are resident in the EEA and Switzerland.
Child benefit and the child tax credit are payable to persons residing in the EEA or Switzerland, where the UK is the responsible state for payment under EU law.  This would include payment to UK workers and pensioners.
Child benefit and the child tax credit are also payable to UK Crown servants posted overseas (eg Armed Forces personnel, members of the Diplomatic Service) or their accompanying spouse or partner, provided that just before the posting the Crown servant was either ordinarily resident in the UK or was present in the UK immediately prior to the posting and in connection with that posting.
Child benefit is covered by some of the UK’s bilateral social security agreements, namely Barbados, Canada, Israel, Jersey and Guernsey, Mauritius, New Zealand and the former Yugoslavia. Under some of these bilateral agreements (eg with Barbados and the former Yugoslavia), UK child benefit may be payable if the person responsible for the child (or their spouse) is still paying UK national insurance contributions.
We do not have estimates of the total annual cost of paying child benefit and/or the child tax credit in the circumstances outlined above.

Benefits

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the cost of paying social security benefits to those aged 16 and 17; which benefits are involved and under what conditions; what child allowance payments can be made on behalf of children of that age; on behalf of how many children are such payments made; and how much is paid on their behalf annually. [HL1936]

Lord Freud: The cost of paying social security benefits to those aged 16 and 17 is broken down in the following table:



Payments to 16 and 17 yr olds


2010-11




Income Support


�49m




Jobseeker’s Allowance


�11m




Housing benefit


�59m




Disability Living Allowance


�191m




Employment and Support Allowance


�18m




Carer’s Allowance


�4m




Total


�332m


Young people under 18 can only qualify for welfare benefits in certain circumstances eg young parents, carers, people with disabilities, the long-term sick and young people who are estranged from their parents or carers and in full-time non-advanced education. Further information on this can be found at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/Money/FinancialHelpForYoungPeople/DG_10027506.
We estimate DWP made �73 million of child element payments through income support in respect of 16 and 17 year-olds in 2011-12.
The information regarding children aged 16 and 17 included in child benefit claims is already published and can be found at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug11.pdf.
The information on child tax credit and further breakdown of child allowance payments is not readily available and has not previously been published as official statistics. We do not consider it feasible to produce the statistics requested within the disproportionate cost limit.

Benefits

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they propose to cease publication of the Annual Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up Report. [HL1937]

Lord Freud: We are considering discontinuing the publication of Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up. This would mean that the last publication in this series was February 2012, covering the period 2009-10. This proposal reflects a number of factors:
there has been an increased demand for new statistics to measure new policies in relation to welfare reform and other departmental priorities;
take-up statistics are published as ranges that are relatively wide in relation to the range locations. This feature limits the usefulness of the statistics because of the associated uncertainty and difficulty in identifying trends over time. In particular users are currently warned that pension credit estimates should be treated with caution due to small sample sizes. Uncertainty is set to increase for results published from 2011-12 because the Family Resources Survey sample size has fallen from 25,000 to 20,000;
the relevance of Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up as a statistical series for existing benefits is limited because many of these benefits will be replaced by universal credit. Universal credit is scheduled to be introduced in October 2013 with full migration scheduled to take place over several years. Other benefits are also being reformed in the coming years; and
increasing demands on our limited number of statistical staff means that we need to make difficult decisions on where this resource is best deployed.
The full consultation document is available online at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/income_analysis/july_2012/take_up_irb_consultation.pdf.

BFI National Archives

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they support the continuation of the funding of the BFI National Archives under the Broadcasting Act 1950 and the Communications Act 2003 to ensure the United Kingdom retains a record of the output of the commercial public service broadcasters for the foreseeable future. [HL2083]

Lord Newby: The National Television Archive is an important part of our screen heritage. It is important that the British Film Institute (BFI) is in a position to be able to look after the legacy collections, including material broadcast on television. Ofcom has determined an appropriate contribution by the commercial public service broadcasters for 2012-13 and will consider their contribution for 2013-14 in due course. We will also consider the longer-term contribution of funding to the BFI by broadcasters as part of the Government's communications review.

Civil Service: Staff

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, how many civil servants in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, (a) joined, and (b) left, the department in each of the past five years for which figures are available, and what percentage each represented as a percentage of the number in post in each category at the end of each year. [HL2010]

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, what was the average age of civil servants, in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, in each of the past five years for which figures are available, and what was the average age of (a) joiners, and (b) leavers, in each category in each year. [HL2011]

Lord Sassoon: The answers to the questions are provided in the following tables:



Joiners




Period


Senior civil service (SCS) joiners


As a % of number in post at year end


Average age of SCS joiners


Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7


As a % of number in post at year end


Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7




2007-08


17


16%


43


78


23%


35




2008-09


14


13%


43


83


22%


36




2009-10


21


16%


43


91


22%


35




2010-11


5


5%


41


46


12%


33




2011-12


4


4%


41


50


14%


37





Leavers




Period


Senior civil service (SCS) joiners


As a % of number in post at year end


Average age of SCS leavers


Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7


As a % of number in post at year end


Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7




2007-08


33


31%


45


128


38%


37




2008-09


27


25%


45


75


19%


37




2009-10


14


11%


43


79


19%


38




2010-11


22


20%


45


83


21%


39




2011-12


18


19%


46


98


27%


37





Average age of civil servants 




Period


Average age of SCS


Average age for posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7




2007-08


43


37




2008-09


42


37




2009-10


43


37




2010-11


43


37




2011-12


43


37


The data requested for the Government Economic Service are not recorded separately from other staff grades and therefore this element of the question could be answered only at a disproportionate cost.

Civil Service: Staff

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in respect of HM Treasury excluding HM Revenue and Customs and other agencies, what was the average total remuneration per head of civil servants in (1) the senior civil service, (2) posts equivalent to grade 6 and 7, and (3) the Government Economic Service, in each of the past five years for which figures are available. [HL2012]

Lord Sassoon: The average total remuneration per head of civil servants in HM Treasury for 2010-1 1 and 2011-12 is as follows:






2010-11 (�)


2011-12 (�)




Senior civil service


81,962


80,883




Posts equivalent to grades 6 and 7


51,132


50,565


Figures for prior years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The salaries of those working at the Treasury in the Government Economic Service are not recorded separately from other staff.

Climate Change

The Duke of Montrose: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the certificates of exemption from the climate change levy for those involved in the production of combined heat and power are to be withdrawn from 1 April 2013. [HL2079]

Lord Sassoon: State aid approval for the levy exemption certificate expires on 1 April 2013. There is recognition among many in the energy industry that the exemption was not a well targeted form of support for combined heat and power (CHP). It was also costly to the taxpayer and administratively complex.
At Budget 2012, the Government announced that companies will have five years to draw down certificates obtained before 1 April 2013. They also announced that input fuels used to generate heat in CHPs will be exempt from the carbon price floor. The Department for Energy and Climate Change is looking at the long-term future of support for CHP electricity as part of wider energy policy options.

Council Tax

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total financial outturn on council tax benefit (1) in cash terms, and (2) in real terms, in each of the financial years 1997–98 to 2010–11 inclusive. [HL1959]

Lord Freud: The information you requested is in the table below:






Cash Terms


2012-13 prices




1997-98


2,395


3,329




1998-99


2,452


3,362




1999-00


2,511


3,373




2000-01


2,575


3,445




2001-02


2,686


3,529




2002-03


2,834


3,628




2003-04


3,223


4,042




2004-05


3,557


4,336




2005-06


3,774


4,509




2006-07


3,941


4,557




2007-08


4,027


4,552




2008-09


4,234


4,647




2009-10


4,698


5,064




2010-11


4,925


5,169


These figures are consistent with the latest published expenditure outturn available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/budget_2012_200712.xls.

Council Tax

Baroness Sherlock: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the proportionate increase in total financial outturn on council tax benefit (1) in cash terms, and (2) in real terms, in each of the financial years 1997–98 to 2010–11 inclusive. [HL1961]

Lord Freud: The information you requested is in the table below:






Cash Terms


2012-13 prices




1997-98


3.5%


0.9%




1998-99


2.4%


1.0%




1999-00


2.4%


0.3%




2000-01


2.5%


2.1%




2001-02


4.3%


2.4%




2002-03


5.5%


2.8%




2003-04


13.7%


11.4%




2004-05


10.4%


7.3%




2005-06


6.1%


4.0%




2006-07


4.4%


1.1%




2007-08


2.2%


-0.1%




2008-09


5.2%


2.1%




2009-10


10.9%


9.0%




2010-11


4.8%


2.1%


These figures are consistent with the latest published expenditure outturn available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk-asd-asd4-budget_2012_200712.xls.

Education: 16-19 Bursary

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the take-up of the 16-19 bursary in England (1) in each local authority, and (2) within each local authority, according to ethnicity.  [HL1891]

Lord Newby: The 16-19 bursary fund has been operating since the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year. Data on bursary fund payments during 2011-12 are being collected at local authority and individual institutional level and will be available in early 2013.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what communications they have issued to employers in respect of the Youth Contract, and whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of all such communications.  [HL1657]

Lord Freud: There have been three mailings to over 350,000 employers to promote the youth contract and three products created for local marketing to employers by Jobcentre Plus. I will place copies of all products in the Library.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of new jobs which will be created as a result of the Youth Contract.  [HL1774]

Lord Freud: The youth contract, worth almost �1 billion, was introduced in April 2012 and will provide nearly half a million new opportunities to young unemployed people over the next three years. The youth contract builds on existing support available through Jobcentre Plus and the Work Programme, enabling young unemployed people to look for work, gain work experience and skills, and find real, lasting jobs.

Employment: Youth Contract

Lord German: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of the number of eight-week payments that have been issued as part of the wage incentive of the Youth Contract.  [HL1775]

Lord Freud: The youth contract, including wage incentives, went live in April 2012. From this point any young person attached to the Work Programme could be placed into work with a wage incentive being offered to the employer. In most cases, wage incentives are paid after a young person has been in work continuously for 26 weeks. We will pay small employers a proportion of the wage incentive after eight weeks and where young people leave posts after 13 weeks but before week 26, we will pay half of the wage incentive.
Wage incentives are paid after 26 weeks because the aim is to incentivise employment into real, sustainable jobs, largely within the private sector. The volumes of wage incentives we pay after 26 weeks of work will show the number of young people who have benefited from this policy by entering real and sustainable jobs. Following the collection and quality assurance of this data, I expect the first set of official statistics on the wage incentive to be available from early 2013. The department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

Freedom of Information

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by what date the Freedom of Information team at HM Revenue and Customs intends to reply to the letter of appeal against a refusal to provide information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 from Segesta Ltd dated 16 May. [HL1922]

Lord Sassoon: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) issued a reply to the letter of appeal from Segesta Ltd on 25 July 2012.

Higher Education: Loans

Baroness Sharp of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Statement by the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Learning, John Hayes, on 12 July (Official Report, col. 35-6WS), whether they are planning to run a national advertising campaign to publicise the new system of loans for adult students in further education; and, if so, how much funding they will devote to such a campaign. [HL1943]

Baroness Wilcox: We want to ensure that potential learners eligible for loans have the facts they need to make an informed choice. We will use a broad range of routes to communicate with potential learners, including the National Careers Service, colleges and training organisations, employers and trade union representatives. We will also use routes to communicate with specific groups such as prisoners and the unemployed.
We are developing information materials for potential learners which will be available through these routes, drawing on the research published by BIS on 11 May on learner attitudes to loans, and on further research with learners. We are also looking at whether there are additional activities that we can undertake at a national level to ensure that learners have the information they need about loans. The communications budget will reflect the outcome of this work.

House of Lords: Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint is authorised to speak on all matters relating to his department. [HL2071]

Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint: As Minister of State for Trade and Investment, I am responsible for the development and implementation of cross-government strategy for trade and inward investment. I am Minister of State in both the department of Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office providing advice on trade and investment to the Foreign Secretary and the Business Secretary.
I am spokesman for the Government on trade and investment matters in the House of Lords.

Housing: Insurance

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord De Mauley on 18 July ((Official Report, col. 224), what action they are taking to promote insurance-with-rent schemes for people with low incomes in the private rented sector.  [HL1839]

Lord Sassoon: Insurance-with-rent schemes have been a part of financial inclusion work targeted at the social rented sector. While there are no current plans to extend these schemes into the private rented sector, we are working with the insurance industry and other stakeholders to explore how best to support innovative community-level approaches to addressing the availability of affordable flood insurance.

Internet: 4G Spectrum

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the licence fees for the use of 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum for each licensee if they were calculated to reflect full market value according to Ofcom's proposed methodology and using the German and Italian 800MHz spectrum auctions outcome as a proxy for the 4G auction. [HL2080]

Lord Newby: The setting of licence fees is a matter for the regulator, Ofcom. The Government directed Ofcom in December 2010, once the 4G auction was completed, to revise the licence fees to reflect the full market value of the frequencies and to have particular regard to the sums bid for licences in the auction in setting the revised level of the fees. We remain convinced that this approach is the best way of setting market-based fees for the spectrum in question. Ofcom has set out in its recent statement on the auction how it is likely to approach setting annual licence fees but it will consult on the exact methodology after the auction.

Internet: Broadband

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide a breakdown by licensee of the fees paid to Ofcom in the financial year 2011–12 for the use of spectrum holdings under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998. [HL2081]

Lord Newby: This is a matter for the regulator, Ofcom. However, officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have consulted Ofcom which has advised that it will not provide a breakdown by licensee as a matter of course.

National Insurance

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 4 July (WA 178–80), what is the total number of national insurance numbers issued from 2004–05 to date to adult overseas nationals from (1) EU candidate countries, (2) EU countries, and (3) non-EU countries; what was the percentage rise from 2009–10 to 2010–11 for (a) EU candidate countries, (b) EU countries, and (c) non-EU countries, and the overall percentage rise; and what were the reasons for the increase in 2010–11. [HL2084]

Lord Freud: The table below provides NINo registration data for each of the categories requested from April 2004.  There is no information available that would provide definitive reasons for the increase in national insurance registrations in 2010-11.



NINo Registrations to Adult Overseas Nationals entering the UK (Thousands): 




Time Series-Financial Year of Registration Date by World Area of Origin.







2004-05


2005-06


2006-07


2007-08


2008-09


2009-10


2010-11


2011-12 (Not Complete)


% difference between 2009-10 and 2010-11




EU candidate countries


5,370


4,740


5,470


6,330


6,800


5,690


7,200


3,270


26.5




All EU countries


197,550


374,540


420,240


439,900


377,190


274,150


359,710


267,710


31.2




Non EU countries


232,430


283,780


280,130


286,860


302,120


292,900


338,000


194,620


15.4




Total of all countries


435,350


663,060


705,840


733,090


686,110


572,740


704,910


465,600


23.1


Source: 100% extract from National Insurance Recording and Pay As You Earn System Notes:
1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest 10 percentages to one decimal place. Some additional disclosure control has been applied. Totals may not sum due to rounding method used. Data are cumulative from 1 January 2002 unless otherwise specified (eg time-series, subset). Data for 2011-12 are from April to December 2011.
2. Registration date is derived from the date at which a NINo is maintained on the National Insurance Recording and Pay As You Earn System.
3. Time Series-Financial Year of Registration Date Years are Financial based (1 Apr-31 Mar).
4. World Area of Origin is based on a client's nationality. For consistency of reporting, EU-Accession States includes A8 (Republic of Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia), Al0 (Malta and Cyprus) and A2 (Bulgaria and Romania) for the entire Back Series including the periods before Accession and after transitional arrangements have ended. European Union includes the Accession States for this analysis.
5. European Union is made up of the following: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Republic of Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Bulgaria.
6. EU Candidate Countries are: Iceland, the Former Yugoslavia-Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey.
7. The source data for this analysis are available on the department's website at: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool.

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, after the end of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, any Minister will have designated oversight of the Olympic legacy. [HL1950]

Lord Newby: After the Games, various Ministers will, as now, be accountable for legacy programmes for which their departments are responsible. For Government, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, along with the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, will retain oversight of the delivery of the legacy as a whole.

Pensions

Baroness Drake: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much revenue they estimate would be raised by reducing the lifetime allowance for pensions tax relief to (1) �1.25 million, (2) �1 million, (3) �750,000 or (4) �500,000, in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2014-15, (c) 2015-16, or (d) 2016-17.  [HL1878]

Lord Sassoon: Large changes to the lifetime allowance would result in substantial behavioural effects that could be estimated only at disproportionate cost. As a result, no estimates are available.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether current account surpluses were recorded in the accounts of (1) the NHS Superannuation Scheme, and (2) the Teacher Superannuation Scheme, in the past three years; whether any such surpluses were returned to HM Treasury; and whether other public sector pension schemes have returned surpluses to HM Treasury in the last three years. [HL1933]

Lord Sassoon: The annual accounts for the National Health Service (NHS) Superannuation Scheme can be found at the following website: http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/Pensions/Valuation.aspx. The accounts show that income exceeded expenditure for 2010-11, but did not for the previous two years.
The annual accounts for the Teacher Superannuation Scheme can be found at the following website: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/SchoolsSO/Page8/HC%20988. These accounts also show that income exceeded expenditure for 2010-11, but did not for the previous two years.
Both the NHS Superannuation Scheme and the Teacher Superannuation Scheme are unfunded pension schemes. This means that pension contributions are paid by employers and employees but these are not used to build up a fund in order to provide the means to meet the liability when it falls due, but rather used to pay current pensions. As these schemes are unfunded, this means that these "surpluses" for 2010-11 are notional and are shown in the accounts to reduce the liability. For details of other public sector pension schemes, please go to the relevant accounts which can be found on the relevant websites.

Pensions

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government , further to the Written Answer by Baroness Garden of Frognal on 26 June (WA 57–8), what were the percentage increases in expenditure by Ofcom per annum since its establishment, with and without pension repair payments; whether Ofcom is or was subject to cuts in funding since that date; whether permission was sought by Ofcom for making pension repair payments; and what is the value of the defined contribution pension allowance that is available to all staff. [HL1934]

Lord Newby: The Office of Communications (Ofcom), as the independent communications regulator, operates within an overall funding cap set by HM Treasury. In the most recent spending review (SR2010), Ofcom agreed to deliver a savings profile, which will achieve a 28.2% reduction in real terms of the funding cap over the four year period to 2014-15. In the period to 2011-12, Ofcom has delivered actual operating cost outturn savings of 26.9 % in real terms, relative to the actual outturn for 2004-05. This saving in actual operating cost outturn over the period has been made, notwithstanding Ofcom’s obligation to meet inherited liabilities, in respect of defined benefit pensions and taking on a number of additional duties and responsibilities. These include, but are not limited to, postal services regulation, obligations under the Digital Economies Act and spectrum management activities in respect of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games.
Ofcom sets its budgets within the constraints of the overall funding cap. Where it is required to make deficit repair payments to its two inherited defined benefit pension plans, formal internal governance processes through the Ofcom board and executive committee are followed, and in respect of the budgeting and making of such payments. The value of the defined contribution pension allowance varies between 8% and 15% of salary, dependent upon staff grade, with two members of the Ofcom executive committee receiving an allowance of 20% of salary.
The following table shows the percentage increase or decrease in Ofcom's expenditure per annum, with and without pension deficit repair payments:



Financial Year


% increase/decrease in total outturn


%increase/decrease in outturn excluding pension deficit repair payments




2003-04





*




2004-05


-3.20%


-3.30%**




2005-06


6.10%


2.50%




2006-07


0.30%


3.60%




2007-08


0.40%


-1.50%




2008-09


-1.80%


-3.10%




2009-10


1.30%


-6.40%




2010-11


-3.10%


5.20%




2011-12


-13.20%


-18.20%


[* 3 month period only from 29 Dec 2003 to 31 Mar 2004]
[** % increase/decrease calculated using annualised 03-04 outturn]

Pensions

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will follow other European countries in establishing a floor level for the discount interest rate to be applied in calculating insurance and pension liabilities, taking into account the impact of quantitative easing. [HL2027]

Lord Freud: It is important to note that it is not always possible to make direct comparisons with pension scheme funding regimes in other countries. The UK system allows flexibility where it most matters-on the actual payments that go into the scheme.
It is important to maintain the integrity of the UK pension funding regime and that employers are able to respond to the pressures created by the economic crisis by smoothing the actual payments required of them.
Similarly it is not always possible to make direct comparisons with insurance supervisory regimes in other countries. Based on guidance from the FSA, it is for insurers to value their liabilities in a way which is appropriate to the business model and risks relating to the individual undertaking. We continue to work with the FSA to ensure that the regulatory objectives set out in FSMA are fulfilled.

Private Sector: Investment

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review their current policies designed to encourage private sector investment. [HL2024]

Baroness Wilcox: The Government's deficit strategy has helped to deliver near-record low interest rates and our Plan for Growth outlines a comprehensive approach designed to stimulate private sector-led growth. Encouraging investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy is one of four ambitions through which the Government will achieve their economic policy objective of strong and sustainable growth that is more evenly balanced across the country and between industries. We continue to outline progress in implementing over 250 commitments of the Plan for Growth, most recently in March 2012.
A number of fiscal steps have been taken to encourage private sector business investment to support the Plan for Growth ambition of "creating the most competitive tax regime in the G20".
The main rate of corporation tax (CT) has reduced by 4% from 28% in 2010 to 24% in April 2012. The main rate will fall to 22% in April 2014. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility estimated the 1% CT reduction would increase business investment by around 1%, equivalent to �3.4 billion by 2016.
From April 2012, the Government have offered 100% enhanced capital allowances (ECAs) on plant and machinery investment made in 12 designated areas in enterprise zones. These will help to attract inward investment and stimulate growth in areas by attracting large companies to make large capital investments. ECAs will particularly encourage investment in the manufacturing sector.
The Plan for Growth's second ambition, to make the UK one of the best places in Europe to start, finance and grow a business, has been supported in a series of recent announcements.
The Government launched the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme in April 2012 to support seed investment in response to particular difficulties start-up companies can face in obtaining seed finance. To kick-start the scheme, the Government are offering a capital gains tax holiday: gains realised on the disposal of assets in 2012-13 that are invested through SEIS in the same year will be exempt from CGT.
A range of measures are ensuring firms with viable business plans are able to access the finance they need to grow: working with the banks, providing guarantees (Enterprise Finance Guarantee), and with equity providers to fill the equity gap (Business Finance Partnership). We are also making available targeted support such as �420 million Get Britain Building Fund for SME house builders (plus �150 million in Budget 2012), �500 million Growing Places Fund and an additional �270 million via LEPs, and UK Green Investments (first �775 million of �3 billion due this year).
The third ambition in the Plan for Growth was to "encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy". How the Government's can better fulfil this ambition also continues to be reviewed.
The Government's latest commitment to private sector investment was the July 2012 announcement of a new UK guarantees scheme to accelerate major infrastructure investment and provide major support to UK exporters. This support is only possible because of the Government's hard-won fiscal credibility, which the Government are now passing on to support the UK economy. �40 billion of projects could benefit from the scheme, including critical infrastructure projects that have stalled because of adverse credit conditions.
In February of this year the Regional Growth Fund, which supports projects and programmes that lever private sector investment creating economic growth and sustainable employment, was allocated an additional �1 billion. This takes the fund total to �2.4 billion. The ratio of private sector investment to public funding in round 1 was 5:1 and increased to 6:1 in round 2. Budget 2012 also saw the announcement of a new �100 million University Research Co-Investment Fund to accelerate private sector investment in UK university research infrastructure.

Schools: Performance

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which are the 36 primary schools in Lancashire that the Schools Commissioner for England, Dr Elizabeth Sidwell, said in a speech at Hambleton, Lancashire on 12 July were "poorly performing" and should become academies; whether the schools concerned have been informed of their inclusion in this list; and what are the criteria that were used for this judgment.  [HL1883]

Lord Newby: It is not our policy to name schools where we are in the early stages of exploring sponsored academy options. We believe this has the potential to disrupt the schools concerned. The schools identified as underperforming are those which are in an Ofsted category of "notice to improve" or "special measures" and/or are below the floor standard and have been so for the majority of the past five years. A school is below the floor standard if fewer than 60% of pupils achieve level 4 at key stage 2 in English and maths combined, with rates of progression in English and maths below the national medians. Officials work closely with local authorities to discuss options for an academy solution for these schools which will transform performance.

Taxation: Alcohol

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group’s Inquiry into beer tax fraud. [HL2061]

Lord Sassoon: The Government welcome the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group report on beer fraud, published on 16 July 2012. The group's recommendations will be considered alongside the other responses to the Government's consultation on legislative options to tackle alcohol fraud, which closed on 16 July.
The Government intend to publish a summary of the findings of that consultation later this year.

Taxation: Cash-in-hand Payments

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have issued any guidance on how people can determine whether cash-in-hand payments are linked to tax evasion. [HL2026]

Lord Sassoon: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued detailed guidance on cash-in-hand payments on its website which can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/sectors/consumers/cash-payments.htm. HMRC also publishes guidance on circumstances where receiving cash-in-hand payments as an employee may be unlawful or linked to evasion, which can be found at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/working/intro/casual.htm.

Taxation: VAT

Baroness Hooper: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much they expect to raise from the imposition of VAT on charities in relation to the maintenance of listed buildings. [HL2055]

Lord Sassoon: There has been no change to the VAT treatment of maintaining listed buildings. The Finance Bill removed the anomaly whereby approved alterations to certain listed buildings are zero-rated for VAT purposes but alterations to other types of building and the repair and maintenance of all buildings are standard-rated.
On 28 June 2012 HM Revenue and Customs published, on its website, a summary of responses to its consultation "VAT: Addressing VAT borderline anomalies". Annex B in the document contains a revised assessment of the impacts of the proposed changes to alterations to listed buildings.
The published Exchequer impact (�m) for the listed buildings measure in the responses document is as follows:



2012-13


2013-14


2014-15


2015-16


2016-17




35


85


95


110


125


The responses document also explained that, in addition, changes to the policy made as a result of consultation are expected to decrease receipts, from the above, by approximately �5 million in 2012-13 and 2013-14. This is to take account of the revised transitional arrangements. The final costing for the policy change will be subject to scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility and will be set out in the Autumn Statement 2012.
These estimates apply to all listed buildings affected by the change and separate estimates are not available for the impact on charities.
Annex B of the responses document also clarifies that the scope of the Listed Places of Worship Grant scheme will be extended to cover alterations as well as repairs and that funding for the scheme will be increased by �30 million per annum.

Telecommunications: Television Signals

Lord Dubs: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what incentives are being provided, alongside consumer-focused measures, to mobile network operators to take steps to prevent or reduce interference with television signals at the network level.  [HL1778]

Lord Newby: Ofcom has proposed a set of key performance indicators relating to the delivery of the assistance to TV viewers to be included in the licences of the mobile network operators (MNOs). If any of the MNOs fail to meet the key performance indicators for dealing with interference to TV, the immediate sanction is that they must significantly reduce the power levels operating from the relevant base stations, and not add any others, until they have remedied the issues for TV viewers. In addition, those MNOs are incentivised to limit the amount of interference their services cause by being able to share any of the �180 million which they are required to commit to this assistance that is left over after Mitco has completed its work.
On 24 July, Ofcom published its statement on the auction of 4G spectrum licences. This is available from its website at: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/award-800mhz-2.6ghz/statement/?utm_source=updatesutm_medium=emailutm_campaiqn=4g-auction-statement.
The interference mitigation requirements, including a full explanation of all the key performance indicators that will be applied to the MNOs, are included in Annexe 2 to the information memorandum.